Empire Way and Creative Cause headed for the San Felipe
Trainers are not fond of running stable mates against each other in a single race, but sometimes to fit them in a suitable race is all what conditioners are looking for, no matter if they have to go at it against each other as long as they get a good prep
race ahead of a bigger race.
Mike Harrington is taking Heinz Steinmann’s 3-year-old colts, Empire Way and Creative Cause, and sending them to the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park on 10 March, 2012, at about 1 1/16 miles.
San Felipe is restricted for 3-year-olds, and since the two, Creative Cause and Empire Way are the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby hopefuls, they will have an opportunity to race against a possible Kentucky Derby lineup and assess what they have to do on the Derby
day.
The more highly regarded of the two, Creative Cause worked ahead of the San Felipe Stakes, as he turned in four furlongs over at Hollywood Park in 46 2/5 seconds on 6 March.
The initial plan for Creative Cause was to run in the Grade 2, $500,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on 17 March, but Harrington decided against it, and has chosen Empire Way as the second colt to represent him in the 1 1/16 mile event.
“I’m going to run them both,” Harrington said. “I started out with a program for (Creative Cause) and along the way the other horse (Empire Way) came along, and I considered keeping them apart. But the timing for both of them kind of dictates that I run
them this weekend, and then I’ll go from there.'"
The one thing in favour of running the two stable mates together is that both of them have different running styles, while Joel Rosario will be aboard Creative Cause, but Harrington hasn’t chosen one for Empire Way.
“Creative Cause will lay close and the other horse will come from back. They won’t interfere with each other as far as running styles, it’s just that I need earnings for Empire Way and if the other horse beats him I’m shooting myself in the foot. But you
have to do what you have to do sometimes.”
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